The Pros & Cons of Flat Roofs in Santa Fe’s Climate

When it comes to housing design, different environments — both natural and manmade — require different considerations. Santa Fe (and much of New Mexico generally) are unique in many ways when it comes to this. 

The Santa Fe area has standout, sometimes contrasting qualities making it something of a unicorn: It experiences desert conditions but with a monsoon season bringing most of the year’s precipitation between July and September, in turn getting on average over 280 sunny days per year but getting the rain all at once. 

It’s also not just a desert, but a high desert with much higher elevation than other places that people tend to think of as high elevation cities  — at nearly 7,000 feet above sea level, Santa Fe is by far the highest-elevation American city with more than 13,000 people while also being the highest-elevation capital. 

Between the elevation, aridity, sudden rain, and year-round differences in temperature, it’s easy to see why building for Santa Fe has its own challenges. 

Why flat roofs? 

Luckily, this region’s history is defined by creative practicality in building and other solutions — flat roofs are one of those architectural innovations built for the New Mexican climate going back not just centuries but millenia. From the Ancestral Puebloan to the Spanish Territorial style to the Pueblo Revival, our architecture has long used flat roofs. 

Today, they continue to be a key design aspect in not just Pueblo architecture, but much of modern design due to their energy efficiency and practicality in our unique desert climate. 

Flat roofing dates back to the mid-700s with the Ancestral Puebloans and has been a cornerstone of this area no matter who was building pretty much ever since. Now, not only is it a practical architectural style, but its history and tradition is so ingrained in New Mexico that the aesthetics of flat roofs have become ubiquitously associated with the region. 

Basically: Flat roofs began as a practical building solution and now, over a millennium later, are still so well-suited to the region that they’re still going strong as an icon of Santa Fe. 

Let’s dive further into the pros and cons of New Mexican flat roofs, what modern adaptations can help with, and what to keep an eye out for when it comes to maintaining yours. 

Advantages of a Santa Fe flat roof 

There’s a reason flat roofs have been ubiquitous in the area for 1,300 years. Here are some of those main reasons, including how certain modern materials and techniques play a role. 

Energy efficiency 

Arguably the reason for why people started building flat-roofed houses in New Mexico — and then continued doing so for over 1,000 years — they are exceptionally well-suited to an environment that presents unique challenges. 

First, they’re energy efficient, both for the hot and cold. 

During the winter, a well-designed flat-roofed home can retain heat well, while in the summer, the smaller surface area can help “dodge” heat as long as the rest of the house is built to address the environment accordingly. 

To that end, flat roofs work especially well when the rest of the home is built with strong insulation and reflective materials. 

A membrane system adds additional layers of insulation while also providing a reflective top layer to decrease the amount of heat your home absorbs. 

Climate suitability and durability 

In a related vein, flat roofs are particularly well-suited to Santa Fe’s climate. This is especially true when considering how they handle the combination of hot, dry weather, sudden monsoon rains, and the freeze-thaw cycle surrounding the winter. 

Modified bitumen roofing, in particular, works well with flat roofs and is very durable when confronted with the Santa Fe freeze-thaw cycle plus the impact of monsoons. TPO roofing, on the other hand, is known for being especially resistant to UV and effectively reflecting heat. 

At the same time, a flat roof tends to be easier for installing other components of your environmental controls like HVAC — and even solar panels if you’re so inclined. Which, given New Mexico’s aforementioned 280 days of sun per year, is a pretty good option (and goes back to that whole “energy efficiency” component). 

Easier maintenance 

As long as you have good professionals installing the roof to make sure it’s done right, a flat roof can be much easier to maintain. 

For starters, there’s just less surface area, less material, and fewer angles and forces to contend with than other roofing styles. All lead to easier maintenance. 

At the same time, for an installer like Santa Fe Stucco​​ & Roofing, the flat roof installation process focuses on creating as few seams as possible, subsequently minimizing potential points of failure. 

A more pitched roof can make basic maintenance and inspections trickier just because it’s harder to access, meaning they can get put off and simple problems can escalate into much more difficult, expensive ones. Simple steps to keep your roof in top shape are based on regular inspections, removing of debris, and ensuring proper drainage — it’s easiest to get all this done with a flat roof. 

Lifestyle 

Not only does a flat roof have these advantages for maintenance and climate suitability, but it also can enhance your quality of life! A flat roof has one special characteristic that other roofs don’t: Stuff can go on it — including you! 

We’ll sometimes find people using their rooftops as a patio space to enjoy a meal or watch the sunset. For all their merits, you can’t do that with an angled roof. 

Cost effectiveness 

Flat roofs also are less expensive than pitched roofs. This can manifest itself in multiple ways, but it starts pretty immediately; from the get-go, you’ll spend less upfront on a flat roof given it takes less material and labor. 

On top of that, you can also save more over time too for some of the reasons we already listed above — greater energy efficiency means lower bills, easier maintenance means you’re less likely to accidentally have a little problem turn into a big, expensive one, and you can potentially add solar panels to your roof to decrease your energy bills even further. 

Cons of a flat roof in New Mexico 

Of course, there are still some disadvantages to be aware of. 

Risk of pooling 

One of the most important parts of having a flat-roofed home is making sure the drainage doesn’t ever get blocked. Otherwise, blocked or improperly draining flat roofs can pose a threat of ponding water — keep an eye out especially as winds from monsoon season can blow debris into systems and block drainage. 

In turn, this can lead to leaks and other damage. 

While we obviously don’t see lots of precipitation most of the year, be sure your drainage is clear if you have a flat roof especially before monsoon season starts. 

Membrane vulnerabilities 

When it comes to contemporary flat roofs, this is a common concern. Roofing materials are especially vulnerable around their seams, as these are the easiest points of failure. Although they can get punctured or tear anywhere, membranes are most risky at the seams. Additionally, with expansion and contraction from temperature changes, cracking is a concern — most commonly occurring around penetrations or canales.  

Luckily, a reputable roofing company like Santa Fe Stucco & Roofing focuses on minimizing seams when we can to equally minimize these potential points of failure. Our TPO roofing, especially, is applied in broad sheets for this very reason. 

Poor installation 

Related to all possible disadvantages, improper or unprofessional installation can be a if not the root cause of any problems. This can shorten the lifespan of your roof while also making it more susceptible to leaks and other potential damage. 

So, when it comes to roof installation, make sure you get it done from reputable professionals. 

Bottom line 

While they aren’t completely flawless — no homebuilding choice is, after all — there’s a reason flat roofs have been the way to go in New Mexico for over 1,000 years. They’re extremely practical for the regional climate and, after a millennium and then some of being the roof of choice, the iconic flat roofs are an aesthetic icon of Santa Fe. 

Just be sure to get it installed right and maintained proactively — something we know quite a bit about at Santa Fe Stucco & Roofing! 

As long as you do that, you should be setting your home up for long-lasting comfort.